Driving support system based on driver visual acquisition capacity

Abstract

In a driving support system, a necessary information amount determining section determines the amount of visual information necessary for safe driving. An information acquisition capacity setting section sets an information acquisition capacity of a driver. A comparing section compares the necessary information amount with the information acquisition capacity and determines a difference between the two. If a possibility of collision between an object and a vehicle is determined by a collision possibility determining section, a driving support level setting section sets a level of driving support based on the difference.

1. A driving support system comprising:
 information amount determining means for determining an amount of visual information of objects, which need to be recognized by a driver for safe driving of a vehicle; 
 information acquisition capacity setting means for estimating a level of the driver in acquiring visual information and setting the estimated level as a visual information acquisition capacity of the driver; 
 driving support means for providing support to the driver in driving the vehicle; 
 driving support level setting means for setting a level of driving support provided by the driving support means based on the visual information amount and the visual information acquisition capacity; 
 object detecting means for detecting objects around the vehicle; and 
 object selecting means for selecting objects necessary to be recognized by the driver for safe driving from the detected objects and determining a number of selected objects, wherein the information amount determining means determines the amount of visual information based on the number of the selected objects. 
 
   
   
     2. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the driving support means includes at least one of caution indicating means for providing support in driving of the vehicle by notifying the driver that caution is required and driving operation supporting means for providing support in driving operation of the vehicle; and 
 the driving support level setting means sets a support level of at least one of the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
 
   
   
     3. The driving support system according to  claim 2 , wherein the driving support level setting means adjusts the support level of both the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
   
   
     4. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the information amount determining means determines the amount of the information obtained per a predetermined time; and 
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets an information acquisition capacity that the driver can visually obtain in a predetermined period of time. 
 
   
   
     5. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , further comprising obstacle selecting means for selecting an object that becomes an obstacle to safe driving from the selected objects and determining the selected object as an obstacle, wherein
 the driving support means provides support in driving of the vehicle to avoid the obstacle. 
 
   
   
     6. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle; 
 object classifying means for classifying objects for each of different road conditions and determining a number of the objects in each road condition; and 
 storing means for storing the number of objects in relation to a current position on a map, wherein 
 at least one of the object classifying means and the object selecting means determines the number of objects in consideration of at least one of time of a day, a day of a week, and weather, and 
 the information amount determining means determines the amount of visual information based on the number of objects determined with such consideration. 
 
   
   
     7. A driving support system comprising:
 information amount determining means for determining an amount of visual information of objects, which need to be recognized by a driver for safe driving of a vehicle; 
 information acquisition capacity setting means for estimating a level of the driver in acquiring visual information and setting the estimated level as a visual information acquisition capacity of the driver; 
 driving support means for providing support to the driver in driving the vehicle; 
 driving support level setting means for setting a level of driving support provided by the driving support means based on the visual information amount and the visual information acquisition capacity; 
 position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle; and 
 object classifying means for determining a number of objects, the objects necessary to be recognized by the driver for safe driving, for each of different road conditions, wherein 
 the information amount determining means determines the amount of visual information based on the determined number of the objects. 
 
   
   
     8. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , wherein the object classifying means determines the number of the objects in consideration of at least one of time of a day, a day of a week, and weather. 
   
   
     9. A driving support system comprising:
 information amount determining means for determining an amount of visual information of objects, which need to be recognized by a driver for safe driving of a vehicle; 
 information acquisition capacity setting means for estimating a level of the driver in acquiring visual information and setting the estimated level as a visual information acquisition capacity of the driver; 
 driving support means for providing support to the driver in driving the vehicle; 
 driving support level setting means for setting a level of driving support provided by the driving support means based on the visual information amount and the visual information acquisition capacity; 
 position detecting means for detecting a current position of the vehicle; and 
 storing means for storing a number of objects, the objects necessary to be recognized by the driver for same driving, in relation to a current position on a map, wherein 
 the information amount determining means obtains the number of the objects related to the current position of the vehicle from the storing means and determines the amount of visual information based on the obtained number of the objects. 
 
   
   
     10. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , wherein the storing means stores the number of the objects in consideration of at least one of time of a day, a day of a week, and weather. 
   
   
     11. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , wherein the objects include an obstacle to driving and a road facility. 
   
   
     12. The driving support system according to  claim 1 , further comprising driver information inputting means for inputting individual information on the driver, wherein
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets the information acquisition capacity based on the individual information on the driver. 
 
   
   
     13. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the driving support means includes at least one of caution indicating means for providing support in driving of the vehicle by notifying the driver that caution is required and driving operation supporting means for providing support in driving operation of the vehicle; and 
 the driving support level setting means sets a support level of at least one of the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
 
   
   
     14. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the driving support means includes at least one of caution indicating means for providing support in driving of the vehicle by notifying the driver that caution is required and driving operation supporting means for providing support in driving operation of the vehicle; 
 the driving support level setting means sets a support level of at least one of the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means; and 
 the driving support level setting means adjusts the support level of both the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
 
   
   
     15. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the information amount determining means determines the amount of the information obtained per a predetermined time; and 
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets an information acquisition capacity that the driver can visually obtain in a predetermined period of time. 
 
   
   
     16. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , wherein the objects include an obstacle to driving and a road facility. 
   
   
     17. The driving support system according to  claim 7 , further comprising driver information inputting means for inputting individual information on the driver, wherein
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets the information acquisition capacity based on the individual information on the driver. 
 
   
   
     18. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the driving support means includes at least one of caution indicating means for providing support in driving of the vehicle by notifying the driver that caution is required and driving operation supporting means for providing support in driving operation of the vehicle; and 
 the driving support level setting means sets a support level of at least one of the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
 
   
   
     19. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the driving support means includes at least one of caution indicating means for providing support in driving of the vehicle by notifying the driver that caution is required and driving operation supporting means for providing support in driving operation of the vehicle; 
 the driving support level setting means sets a support level of at least one of the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means; and 
 the driving support level setting means adjusts the support level of both the caution indicating means and the driving operation support means. 
 
   
   
     20. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , wherein:
 the information amount determining means determines the amount of the information obtained per a predetermined time; and 
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets an information acquisition capacity that the driver can visually obtain in a predetermined period of time. 
 
   
   
     21. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , wherein the objects include an obstacle to driving and a road facility. 
   
   
     22. The driving support system according to  claim 9 , further comprising driver information inputting means for inputting individual information on the driver, wherein
 the information acquisition capacity setting means sets the information acquisition capacity based on the individual information on the driver.